A Turkish Vertisol - why is this soil still fertile after thousands of years of agriculture?

Life is vital to soil and soil is vital to life

Soil is a living system. To all of us, she is the source of food, clothing and shelter; the site of our recreational activities and to some extent spiritual belief. Soil is a habitat for many organisms and source of water and essential elements for the plants. History tells us that loss of productive soils accompanies displacement if not extinction of civilization. Soil is fundamental to life; treat it with respect and conserve it.

Soil is an environmental integrator

Soil differs from place to place due to varying environmental factors. Each soil integrates the uniqueness of minerals, climate, living things, topography and age of specific ecosystem. Shift in vegetation (natural or anthropogenic) from grasses to boreal forest leads to decrease in the amount of organic matter in surface layer of black soil. Acid rain deposition and other industrial wastes (e.g., high fluoride) can accelerate breakdown of soil minerals

Joselito (Lito) M. Arocena

Canada Research Chair – Soil and Environmental Sciences
Professor, Environmental Science and Engineering
College of Science and Management
University of Northern British Columbia
3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada V2N4Z9

BSc and MSc (1976, 1985) – Univ of the Philippines at Los Banos (Philippines)
Licentiate in Bodemkunde (1987) – State University of Ghent (Belgium)
PhD in Soil Genesis (1991) – University of Alberta (Canada)